Process of making cyanogen compounds.



H. PHILIPP @L H. FOERSTERLING. PROCESS OFIVIAKING CYANOGEN COMPOUNDS.APPLICATION f|LED1uNE4,19|2. AENEWED MAY n. 19u.

Mtented Dee. 11, 1917.

Q 51mm wocs 333137 Relire/c1121) Q9 WALT@ HERBERT PHILIIPP AND HANSFOERSTERLING, 0F PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY.

reinen PBCESS 0F MKING CYANOGENCOMPOUNDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pwt'ntjied DML-ill, 1R91?, 0rigina1application tiled June 2, 1910, Serial No. 564,672. Divided and thisapplication filed. June 4:, 1919, I

Serial No. 701,570. Renewed May 11, 1917. Serial No. 168,045.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, HERBERT PHILIPP, a citizen of the United` States,and Hans FOERSTERLING, a subject of the Emperor oi' Germany, bothresiding at Perth Amboy, Middlesex county, New J ersey, have inventedcertain'new and useful Improvements in Processes of Making CyanogenCompounds, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to a method of mak ing cyanogen/compounds byvaporizing a metal capable of forming cyanogen compounds and reactingthe-vaporized metal with vn-itrogenous and carbonaceous matter and is afdivision of a pending application tiled June 9J, 1910, SerialNo.r561,672;

ln United States Letters yPatent No.

993,391, dated May 30, 1911, MoNitt has disclosed a method for reducingmetals, based on the electrolysis of metallic compounds, the alloying.of the separated metal with the cathode metal'and theseparating of thetwo metals by passinga current of inert gas through the hot` alloywhereby the moreyolatile metal is vaporized.

We have found that, with a metal capable of forming cyanogen compoundsand with nitrogen as the inert gas, the passing of the volatile metalvapors together with the nitrogen through a furnace containing carbon,

' easily forms cyanogen compounds.

In United States" Patent No. 914,100, Acker has disclosed a process otproducing I oyanogen compounds i by electrolyzing a molten compound of ametal, alloying the separated metal with the` cathode metal, removingthe alloy from the electrolytic cell and reacting on the alloyed metalwith nitrogenous and carbonaceous reagents.

Uur method differs fromAc ers in that we lirst separate the volatilevmetal from the cathode metal and then bring the volatile metal incontact with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.l` f

ln the following we have described, in-

connection with the accompanying drawing, one way of practising ourprocess, the features thereof being more particularly pointed outhereinafter in the claims.

The drawing is a diagrammaticrsectionalV View of a form of apparatusillustrating one way of carrying out our process and in connectiontherewith wej shall describe our processas applied tornnstance to thepro-A duction of an alkali cyanid such as sodium cyanid. y l,

We electrolyze sodium chlorid in the presence of a suitable cathodemetal such as lead, in any well-known manner and obtain an alkali metalalloy, specifically sodium lead alloy, as described by McNitt in hisUnited States Patent No. 993,391 for instance. As McNitt has fullydescribed his cell in the patent referred to, we shall not describe ithere further than thtit the reference numeral 1 indicates theelectrolytic chamber; 2 indicates the furnace. chamber; 3 indicates atransverse partition extending from side'to side of the chamber 1leaving an opening 4 at one end between the end of the partition and thewall of chamber 1, the other end of partition 3 being bent so as to forma seal 5 into which depends end wall 6 of chamber l. 7 7 indicate theanodes, 8 the cathode metal, molten lead for instance, 9 theelectrolyte, sodium chloridV Jfor instance, 10 a pipe Jforl conductingan inert gas, such as nitrogen, to a point beneath the surface of thecontents offurnace chamber 2 and 11 indicates afur nace for heatingfurnace chamber 2. lin the operation of the cell as described the sodiumis separated from the chlorin, which latter passes oftin the usualmanner, and is alloyed with thecathode metal. Thev alloy is caused tocirculate out of chamber 1 through seal 5 yinto furnace chamber 2, asdescribed by McNitt, where it is maintained at a suitable temperatureand subjected to the action of the inert gas which passes through thesame, the gas carrying the sodium vaporthrough connection 12 into retort13, heated in any suitable manner (not shown), the remaining portion ofthe molten alloy, freed from some or all of the sodium, being drawnthrough channel 14: and opening 4 into chamber 1 where the residualmetal again serves as'the cathode and the operation repeated.

The sodium lead alloy is kept at such a temperature in chamber 2 as topermit the inert gas, specific/ally nitrogen, to beintroduced thereinwithout reaction therewith so that the gas may carry oft1 the sodiumvapor `as a metal perse as described. The retort rests on a grate 15through which the alkali cyanid, formed as described, drips into thedrum 16 of the retort and is thence permitted to flow oli' in anysuitable manner, as through outlet 17. Fresh charcoal is added from timeto time as required. Very little fuelis required in practising ourprocess as the formation of cyanid takes place at not much aboye thetemperature at Which the electrolysis takes place.

It is to be understood that We do not limit ourselves to the process asdescribed; The metal from which the cyanid isformed may be producedWithout intermediate formation of an alloy, for instance sodiumchloridmay be electrolyzed by a-diaphragm process and vthe sodium directlyvaporized with nitrogen; instead of blowing nitrogen into the alloy,hydrogen or lother inert gas may be used and the process may be carriedout in two steps ifdesired.

What We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

1. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in vaporiing ametal capable of forming cyanogen compounds and reacting upon said metalWhile in the vaporous state with nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

2. Themethod of making cyanogen compounds consisting in vaporizing ametal capable of forming cyanogen compounds in the presence of a currentof nitrogen and reacting upon said mixture While in a Vaporous stateWith carbonaceous matter.

3. The method of making sodium cyanid .consisting in Vaporizing thesodium and reacting upon the sodium While 1n a vaporous state withnitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

4. The method -of making sodium cyanid consisting in vaporizing thesodium in the presence of a current of nitrogen and reactF ing upon thesodium nitrogen vapors While lin the vaporous state lWith carbonaceousmatter. Y

5. The method of making cyanogen compounds consisting in vaporizing ametal capable of forming cyanogen compounds from a molten masscontaining the same, conducting the metal While in the vaporous state toa retort separate from the Vaporizing chamber and reacting upon the samein the retort With nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

6. rlhe method of making cyanogen coinpounds consisting in vaporizing,in a current of nitrogen, a metal capable of forming cyanogen compoundsfrom a molten mass containing the same, conducting the mixture While inthe vaporous state to a retort separate from the vaporizing chamber andreacting upon the same in the retort with carbonaceous matter. l

7. The method of making cyanogen cmnpounds consisting in vaporizing ametal capable of forming cyanogen compounds, conducting the metal Whilein the vaporous state to a retort separate from the Vaporizing chamberand reacting upon the same in the retort with nitrogenous andcarbonaceous matter.

8. The method of making cyanogen conipounds consisting in vaporizing,ina current of nitrogen, a metal capable of forming cyanogen compounds,conducting the m1X ture While in the vaporous state to a retortvseparate from the vaporizing chamber and reacting upon the same in theretort with carbonaceous matter.

' 9. vThe method of making sodium cyanid consisting in Vaporizing moltensodium metal, conducting the metal While in the vaporous state to aretort separate from the vaporizing chamber and reacting upon the samein the retort With nitrogenous and carbonaceous matter.

10. The method of making sodium cyanid consisting in vaporizing moltensodium metal in the presence of nitrogen, conducting the sodium nitrogenmiXtu re While in the vaporous state to a retort separate from thevaporizing chamber and reacting upon the same in the retort Withcarbonaceous matter.

In- Witness whereof, We have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

HERBERT PHILIPP.

HANS FOERSTERLING.

Witnesses:

O'r'ro K. ZWINGENBERGER, ARNOLD N ORMENBERG.

llt is hereby certied 'that Letters Patent No. 1,249,821, grantedDecember 11, 1917, upon the application of Herbert Philipp andHansFoersterling, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, for an improvement in"Processes of Making Cyanogen Compounds, Were erroneously issued to theinventors, said Philipp and Foersterling,

Whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued to The Roessler d'8Hasslacher 'Chemical U0., of New `York, 1N. Y., al corporation of NewPork, as shown by the reoords of assignments in this ofce; and that thesaiol Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein thatthe seme may conform to the record ol the ease in the Patent @Price lSigned en@ sealed this 19th dey of March, A.. D., 1918.

R. P. WHPPEHEAD,

Acting "Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL]

